Toothbrush

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises a toothbrush having improved manipulative and aesthetic features. The toothbrush includes a joined two-piece construction having a hollow or tubular interior cavity, and wherein the two pieces may be of differing configurations, differing plastic material, differing colors, partially or wholly translucent, and wherein ornamental objects may occupy the cavity when the toothbrush includes transparent portions. The handle also may include soft protuberances to facilitate gripping the toothbrush.

The invention relates to a toothbrush having unique manipulative andaesthetic features.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Toothbrushes are known in a wide range of different configurations.Conventional toothbrush handles are often difficult to handle,particular when one's hands are wet. In particular, users who havetrouble with their joints often find it difficult to execute reliablyand correctly the movements which are necessary for teeth cleaning.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide an aestheticallypleasing toothbrush which allows improved handling and can be producedcost-effectively.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a toothbrushhaving the features set forth hereinafter and as illustrated.

Since the toothbrush handle is subdivided, over at least part of itslength, into two parts which extend in the longitudinal direction of thetoothbrush, are connected to one another and, together, enclose acavity, the handle may be of relatively wide configuration, whichresults in a better grip without the toothbrush becoming too unwieldy.

Preferred further configurations of the toothbrush according to theinvention in which the grip is additionally improved and/or aparticularly aesthetically pleasing effect is achieved from theprovision of transparent and internally decorative portion of thetoothbrush, among other aspects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference tothe several drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a first exemplary embodiment of atoothbrush;

FIG. 2 shows the toothbrush according to FIG. 1 in elevation;

FIG. 3 shows, in elevation, two toothbrush parts separated from oneanother;

FIG. 4 shows a handle cross section of the toothbrush along plane Aaccording to FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 shows a handle cross section of the toothbrush along plane Baccording to FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 shows a handle cross section of the toothbrush along plane Caccording to FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 shows a plan view of a second exemplary embodiment of atoothbrush;

FIG. 8 shows the toothbrush according to FIG. 7 in elevation;

FIG. 9 shows, in elevation, two toothbrush parts separated from oneanother;

FIG. 10 shows a bottom view of the toothbrush according to FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 shows a further possible handle cross section of the toothbrushalong plane B according to FIG. 2;

FIG. 12 shows a plan view of a third exemplary embodiment of atoothbrush;

FIG. 13 shows the toothbrush according to FIG. 12 in elevation;

FIG. 14 shows, in elevation, two toothbrush parts separated from oneanother; and

FIG. 15 shows a bottom view of the toothbrush according to FIG. 12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

According to FIGS. 1 and 2, a manual toothbrush 1, of which thelongitudinal axis is designated L in FIG. 1, has a frontbristle-carrying head part 2 and a rear handle 3. Of the head part 2,FIGS. 1 and 2 merely show a bristle carrier 4, which is provided with anumber of indentations 5 which are provided for anchoring clusters ofbristles in a manner known per se.

The handle 3 is subdivided, over at least part of its length, into twoparts 6, 7 which extend in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush.The bottom part 6 of the handle 3 is connected, if appropriate, to thehead part 2 or formed integrally with the bristle carrier 4. The secondpart of the handle 3 is formed by a top cover part 7. However, insteadof the bottom part 6, it would also be possible for the top handle part7 to be configured integrally with the bristle carrier.

The top cover part 7 is preferably provided with an indentation 9 whichforms a thumb rest. The two handle parts 6, 7, which are illustratedindividually in FIG. 3, are connected, preferably welded, to oneanother, the two parts 6, 7 enclosing a cavity 8 which extends in thelongitudinal direction of the toothbrush 1 (see FIGS. 4, 5 and 6). Forthis purpose, at least one of the two parts 6, 7 has a shell-like crosssection.

FIGS. 1 to 6 illustrate a possible, aesthetically pleasing configurationof the handle 3 in which the cavity 8 extends virtually over the entirehandle length. Some other form would, however, be just as possible.

The handle 3 according to the invention, which is subdivided, over atleast part of its length, into two parts 6, 7 which enclose a cavity 8,may be of relatively wide configuration, which results in a better gripwithout the toothbrush becoming too unwieldy. The grip may additionallybe improved by the selection of a suitable material for the two parts 6,7. It is also possible for the bottom part 6 and the cover part 7 to beproduced from different materials. For example, the bottom part 6 may bemade of a harder material than the cover part 7. For better handling,the cover part 7 or the bottom part 6 may be produced wholly orpartially from an elastically compliant material. In this case, it isalso possible for the cavity 8 to be filled with an elastic material.

It is also possible for the two handle parts 6, 7 to be produced frommaterials which look different (for example different colors for the twoparts, it being possible for the materials to be the same or different).It is also possible for one or both parts to be partially or whollytransparent or translucent.

If at least one of the two handle parts 6, 7 is produced from atransparent material, then the cavity 8 may be filled with decorativeobjects or playthings, e.g. snowflakes or figures. It is also possible,however, for the cavity 8 to be filled with a liquid which may alsocontain, for example, floating objects (of course, sealing of the cavity8 is then imperative, this taking place in a manner describedhereinbelow).

The cavity 8 may also be filled with a gas.

It is also possible for the cover part 7 to be of transparent design andfor that surface of the bottom part 6 which is visible from above to beprovided, e.g. printed, with an image or text.

In order to increase the weight of the handle 3, it is also possible forthe cavity 8 to contain a metal filling.

The cover part 7, but also the bottom part 6, may advantageously beproduced from a multi-component material, for example by injectingmolding. This solution, rather than just providing possible decorativemeans in order to improve the aesthetics, also makes it possible tooptimize the elasticity properties which are important for a bettergrip.

FIGS. 7 to 10 illustrate a further exemplary embodiment of a manualtoothbrush 1′ of which the handle 3, in turn, comprises a bottom part 6and a top cover part 7. In this variant, the indentation 9 provided forthe thumb rest is preferably filled with a soft thermoplastic elastomer.At the same time, in this region, the top cover part 7 is provided withone or more, preferably with six, downwardly directed protuberances 11which, when the two handle parts 6, 7 are joined together, are pressedinto corresponding openings 12 of the bottom part 6, project through thelatter with sealing action in the end position according to FIG. 8, andproject to a slight extent on the bottom outer side. The protuberances11, which preferably consist of rubber-like, soft elastomer, serve,together with the soft thumb rest, for improving the grip.

Instead of a plurality of protuberances 11 on one of the two handles 7or 6 and a plurality of openings 12 in the other part 6 or 7, it wouldbe possible to provide on one part 7 or 6, for example in the region ofthe thumb rest, a single protuberance or peg, of which the cross sectionis, for example, in the droplet form of the indentation 9 according toFIG. 7 and projects into a hole of the same cross section in the otherpart 7 or 6 and extends to the outer side of the same.

It is also possible, however, for at least one of the two handle parts6, 7 to be provided with a hole (for example of the droplet crosssection in the form of the indentation 9 according to FIG. 7) whichopens out into the cavity 8 and is preferably sealed off by a membranemade of rubber-like material. In this case, the handle, in the planedesignated B in FIG. 2, is, for example, of the cross-sectional formillustrated in FIG. 11. In this exemplary embodiment, a hole 10 isprovided in the top cover part 7, and the cavity 8 is closed off by amembrane 13 which—in a manner similar to the abovedescribedprotuberances or pegs—contributes to the ease of handling. The membrane13 also gives rise to improved elasticity. The material of the membraneand the dimensions of the latter have a critical effect on theflexibility of the handle.

As can be seen from FIGS. 7 to 9, the elasticity of the top cover part 7can be improved in that a wedge-shaped recess 14 running transversely tothe longitudinal axis L is formed in said part 7 and is filled with arubber-like material, for example a thermoplastic elastomer, as a resultof which a type of joint is produced (designated 15 in FIGS. 7 to 9).

As has already been mentioned, the two handle parts 6, 7 are preferablywelded to one another along the lines of contact, the cavity 8 beingsealed along the welding lines. The outer edge produced by overlappingduring the welding operation may be covered over by a rubber skin, whichnot only provides additional sealing, but also improves hygiene sinceimpurities cannot accumulate along the welding lines. It is alsopossible, however, for the two handle parts 6, 7 to be joined togetherin the manner of a snap-in connection which preferably cannot bedetached by hand, the snap-in connection likewise having a sealingaction. It is thus possible, for example, for the top cover part 7 to beprovided with a sealing edge 17 made of thermoplastic elastomer, as isillustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. It is also possible, however, for the twohandle parts 6, 7 to be connected by adhesive bonding.

FIGS. 12 to 15 show a variant in which the cavity 8 can be reliablysealed at all locations by welding, even if one of the two handle parts6, 7 has provided on it the protuberances 11 or pegs which projectthrough the cavity 8 and the other handle part 7, 6 and are made of softmaterial, for example an elastically compliant thermoplastic elastomer.

In this variant, the top cover part 7 is provided, in its rear region,with a downwardly directed, sleeve-like protrusion 20 which extends inthe longitudinal direction of the handle 3, has an outer wall 21 and aninner wall 22 and is of oval design in cross section. The inner wall 22encloses an inner space which projects through the cover part 7 at rightangles to the longitudinal axis of the latter and is filled with theelastically compliant material, which forms a grip pad 24. The coverpart 7, which is provided with the protrusion 20, and the grip pad 24are produced, for example, by multi-component injection molding. Thegrip pad 24 has a top grip surface 25 and a bottom grip surface 26.

The bottom part 6 is provided with an opening 27 which corresponds, incross section, to the outer form or the outer wall 21 of the protrusion20.

When the two handle parts 6, 7 are welded together, the protrusion 20,which is introduced into the opening 27 and is filled with the grip pad24 made of softer material, is also welded to the bottom part 6, as aresult of which the cavity 8 is also sealed at this location.

As can be seen from FIG. 13, the two grip surfaces 25, 26 are adapted inaesthetic terms to the outer form of the handle 3.

In a similar manner to the grip pad 24, it is also possible for theprotuberances 11, which are already known from FIGS. 8 and 9 and aremade of soft material, to be accommodated in corresponding sleeve-likeprotusions 30 (see FIG. 14) of one handle part 7, said protrusions beinginserted into associated openings 12 of the other handle part 6 andbeing welded to the latter, as a result of which sealing of the cavity 8is also ensured here.

The toothbrush according to the invention is straightforward andcost-effective to produce. The hollow form of the handle 3 means thatthe amount of material used is reduced. The top cover part 7 and/or thebottom part 6 may be injection molded with one, two or more components.Since the two handle parts 6, 7 are thin-walled parts, it is possible,during production by injection molding, for the time taken for theinjection-molding process to be reduced.

Of course, it is also possible for the handle according to the inventionto be used for types of toothbrush other than those illustrated in thedrawing, e.g. for toothbrushes of which the head part is provided withone or two exchangeable brush heads.

What is claimed is:
 1. A toothbrush having a bristle-carrying head partand a handle, the handle being subdivided, over at least part of itslength, into two parts which extend in the longitudinal direction of thetoothbrush, are connected to one another and, together, enclose acavity, wherein at least one of the two handle parts consists at leastpartially of an elastically compliant material located adjacent thecavity to partially define the cavity.
 2. The toothbrush as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the handle has a bottom part, which is connected to thehead part, and a top cover part, at least one of the two handle partsbeing shell-like.
 3. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 2, wherein thetop cover part and/or the bottom part are/is produced by multi-componentinjection molding.
 4. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 2, wherein thetop cover part is at least partially transparent and that surface of thebottom part which is visible from above is provided with an image ortext.
 5. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handle has atop cover part, which is connected to the head part, and a bottom part,at least one of the two handle parts being shell-like.
 6. The toothbrushas claimed in claim 1, wherein the two handle parts are produced fromdifferent materials.
 7. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe two handle parts look different from one another.
 8. The toothbrushas claimed in claim 1, wherein the cavity is filled with an elasticmaterial.
 9. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least oneof the two handle parts is at least partially transparent.
 10. Thetoothbrush as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cavity, which is enclosedby the two handle parts, is filled with objects such as snowflakes,figures or other playthings.
 11. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 9,wherein the cavity, which is enclosed by the two handle parts, is filledwith a liquid preferably containing floating objects.
 12. The toothbrushas claimed in claim 1, wherein the cavity, which is enclosed by the twohandle parts, is sealed off at the connecting location of the two parts.13. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 12, wherein the cavity, which isenclosed by the two handle parts, is filled with a gas.
 14. Thetoothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two handle parts arewelded to one another, the outer edge produced during the weldingoperation preferably being covered wholly or partially with elasticrubber material.
 15. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein thetwo handle parts are connected to one another in the manner of a snap-inconnection which preferably cannot be detached by hand.
 16. Thetoothbrush as claimed in claim 15, wherein one of the two handle partsis provided with a sealing edge preferably made of a thermoplasticelastomer.
 17. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cavity,which is enclosed by the two handle parts, extends essentially over theentire handle length.
 18. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, whereinone of the two handle parts is provided with an indentation which servesas a thumb rest and is filled with an elastically compliant material,preferably an elastomer.
 19. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1,wherein one of the two handle parts is provided with at least one,preferably more than one, protuberance, and the protuberances projectwith sealing action through associated openings in the other part. 20.The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the twohandle parts is provided with a hole which opens out into the cavity andis closed in the outward direction by a membrane made of elasticallycompliant material, preferably in a sealing matter.
 21. The toothbrushas claimed in claim 1, wherein a wedge-shaped recess runningtransversely to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush is formedin one of the two handle parts and is filled with an elasticallycompliant material.
 22. A toothbrush having a bristle-carrying head partand a handle, the handle being subdivided, over at least part of itslength, into two parts which extend in the longitudinal direction of thetoothbrush, are connected to one another and, together, enclose acavity, wherein at least one of the two handle parts consists at leastpartially of an elastically compliant material, wherein one of the twohandle parts is provided with at least one, preferably more than one,sleeve-like protrusion, the protrusions being arranged transversely tothe longitudinal direction of the toothbrush, being filled with anelastically compliant material, projecting through associated openingsin the other part and being welded to the latter.
 23. The toothbrush asclaimed in claim 22, wherein at least one of the protrusions has aninner wall which encloses an inner space which projects through thehandle and is filled with the elastically compliant material, whichforms a grip pad.
 24. A toothbrush having a bristle-carrying head partand a handle, the handle being subdivided, over at least part of itslength, into two parts which extend in the longitudinal direction of thetoothbrush, are connected to one another and, together, enclose acavity, wherein at least one of the two handle parts consists over atleast a part of its longitudinal length of an elastically compliantmaterial located adjacent the cavity to define a portion of the cavity.